While the Institute’s goals and responsibilities have evolved over time, its priorities have remained consistent, i.e., to support the scholarly works of Polish researchers and to maintain close contact with American scholars. Since its founding, the Institute has attracted researchers representing a broad range of scholarly disciplines and has facilitated presentation of these works at numerous symposia. Some of the most notable examples of such presentations include the Congress of Polish Scholars from the United States and Canada (held at Columbia University in New York in 1966), and the Second Congress of Scholars, Writers and Artists of Polish Origin Residing in the United States and Canada, which convened in 1971. Both events sparked great interest among members of Polonia worldwide.